


The Blink of an Eye

by nagi_schwarz



Series: The Oppenheimer Effect [73]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 09:29:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10409082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: Written for the comment_fic prompt: "Any, any, road trip from hell."The perfect road trip for Tyler's childhood goes to hell in the blink of an eye.





	

The perfect summer roadtrip for Tyler’s childhood turned into the roadtrip from hell in the blink of an eye.

They pulled off at a gas station to refuel and stretch their legs. Even though it was late, they were all a little hyper on caffeine, and none of them felt the need to rest, and they’d set out a little later than intended, so if they wanted to make it to the Mitchell farm in good time to spend as much time as possible with Frank and Wendy, they needed to book it. Tyler, who didn’t often have occasion to drive, what with not having his own car, was pretty eager to take his turn at the wheel - and control the stereo.

Evan and Tyler helped Cam into his chair. Tyler as driver was responsible to fill the van and Cam and JD checked under the hood, made sure all the fluids were topped up and the windows were all clean. He, Cam, and JD were bickering good-naturedly while they worked on the van.

“You drive like an old lady,” JD said. “We’re on the highway. You can open her up a little bit.”

“Not all of us are speed demons and crazy zoomies,” Tyler said loftily.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Cam drawled.

Tyler turned his big brown eyes on Evan. “You’re with me, right? Best to drive safe and dependable. You were a cargo pilot. You get what I mean.”

“I do, but I also get what Cam and JD mean.” Evan smiled.

Tyler pouted. “You never side with me.”

“That’s not true, and you know it,” Evan said. He glanced at Cam, who was straining to wash the rear window. He nudged Tyler. “Go help your father. Anything in particular you want me to get?”

“Just more caffeine,” Cam said.

Evan nodded, pressed a kiss to his brow, and headed into the convenience store. He stocked up on everyone’s favorite sodas, grabbed a bag of chips and a bag of chocolate kisses to share, and then joined the line at the cash register.

The door opened, and he heard laughter drift in from outside. It was reflexive, to check his exits, check his surroundings, but it was just JD coming in.

“Windshield washer fluid’s running low,” JD said. “Need to top it up.” He headed for the auto supplies, then returned with a gallon jug of blue liquid, joined Evan in line.

The door opened again, and Evan heard Cam’s voice raised. He glanced over his shoulder but couldn’t quite see Cam and Tyler with the pyramid of soda boxes blocking the window. Tyler was probably just ribbing him a little. He glanced at JD, smiled. JD was scanning their surroundings too. He was getting taller, was still narrow in the shoulders, but he was definitely coming into some of his adult proportions. Jack O’Neill had been devastatingly handsome as a young man. Evan was looking forward to knowing JD in his prime. He smiled at JD.

And then he heard a howl of pain from outside when the door drifted open again.

He turned, frowning, instinctively reacting to the sound of someone in pain. As a teacher he was a mandatory reporter of physical abuse of a child, and -

Tyler was down on the ground next to the pump, clutching his face and screaming.

_Cammie!_

Evan’s heart leaped into his throat. He stepped out of line, scanned the filling stations and saw - Cam’s empty chair.

And seemingly half a dozen figures in a cluster. They were moving. Writhing. Thrashing. No, they were hitting. Kicking. Stomping.

Evan couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t -

He dropped everything and ran for the door. People shouted in his wake, but he didn’t care.

And then someone shot past him, a blur.

JD.

“Get Tyler,” JD snapped, and then he leaped into the fray.

Evan made a beeline for Tyler, dropped to his knees and gathered the boy into his arms. Tyler was sobbing, breath hitching. Blood poured from his nose, and his eye was blackening.

“Tyler!”

Tyler was sobbing too hard to speak.

Evan clutched Tyler close and held him, and he heard the sound of fists on flesh, grunts and curses.

A woman was shouting for someone to call 911.

Evan dared to look over his shoulder. JD was on his knees, cradling Cam’s head on his lap. Four bodies littered the ground. Evan knew with a certainty born of combat and war that all four of those young men were dead. JD was rocking back and forth and sobbing Cam’s name over and over again.

“Cammie,” Tyler gasped out. He tried to claw his way out of Evan’s embrace. “I have to save him. I -”

Evan curled a hand around the back of Tyler’s neck. “No. Don’t look. Don’t -”

Evan saw another young man sprawled against the side of an SUV stir. He heaved himself up onto all fours and crawled toward JD. JD snarled and lashed out with a fist, and the man fell back with a howl.

And then there were sirens.

A police cruiser screeched onto the scene, lights blazing and sirens wailing. Two uniformed patrolmen emerged from the car, and a woman said,

“That boy. I think he killed those men.”

One of the patrolmen said, “Son, you need to stand up real slow, put your hands up where we can see them.”

“This man needs an ambulance,” JD said, and his voice was terribly cold and calm.

“Son,” the patrolman said, “do what I say.”

The man sprawled beside the SUV spoke up, voice muffled like he had a broken nose. “He was crazy. He attacked us. He broke their fuckin’ necks with his bare hands.” He sounded hysterical.

“Son,” the patrolman said, “stand up.”

“He needs a hospital,” JD said. “He’s barely breathing. Probably has broken ribs. Could have a punctured lung. He needs medical attention.”

The patrolman drew his sidearm. “Son, if you don’t do exactly what I say, I’m going to make you.”

JD lifted his head. “Get an ambulance, and I’ll come quietly.”

“Son -”

“Get on the damn radio and call an ambulance!”

The other patrolman tapped the radio at his shoulder, called for EMS. “There. Ambulance is on its way. Now, come quietly.”

“Someone needs to hold him. I’m not leaving him on the ground.”

The first patrolman leveled his pistol at JD. “Son, I’m not going to ask again -”

“You see that wheelchair over there? That was his. Five guys against a paraplegic. They could’ve killed him. You take that piece of trash and lock him up.” JD jerked his chin in the direction of the other man, who was crying. “Fuck if I’m leaving him alone. Everyone else just stood by and watched him get beaten half to death. Do your job and take the criminals.”

The second patrolman drew his sidearm.

Evan clutched Tyler close, whispering for him not to look, don’t look, don’t you dare look, and then the ambulances arrived.

Everything after that was a blur. Evan remembered getting into a shouting match with the patrolman who tried to arrest JD, holding onto Tyler the entire time and forbidding him from looking at the bodies still littering the ground. Yet more patrolmen arrived, and more ambulances. Tyler was sent to the hospital in one ambulance to get his broken nose checked. JD was sent in another, with a patrolman as an escort.

The police refused to let Evan or anyone else leave, insisted on taking statements and photographing the crime scene. There was yellow tape and bright lights, and a uniformed officer peppering Evan with questions. She wouldn’t let Evan take a breath wouldn’t even let him make a call to Frank and Wendy or John and Rodney or anyone, and all he could tell her was that he didn’t know, that he’d been inside the convenience store, and then he’d heard shouting, and he’d run to Tyler, and JD had run to rescue Cam.

How did he know Cam needed rescuing?

Do the math. Overturned, empty wheelchair. Tyler crying. Five men. No Cam.

How did he know Cam didn’t start it?

He knew Cam. Cam wasn’t like that. And even if he had, five guys versus a paraplegic?

What was their business in Topeka?

On the way to visit family in Auburn.

Know anyone in town?

No.

Did he see what happened?

No. Didn’t want Tyler to see what was going on. Tyler had witnessed his grandfather being beaten to death when he was a kid. Didn’t want him to see his father -

Evan faltered.

His father.

Being beaten to death.

Evan burst into tears.

That was the last thing he remembered before the world went black.


End file.
